Craft sculpture method



July 29, 1969 D; WNAMAKER 3,457,625

CRAFT SCULPTURE METHOD Filed July 8, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 29, 1969 Filed July 8. 1966 D. WANAMAKER CRAFT SCULPTURE METHOD 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dwz/if; QM M rfa/P44575 D. WANAMAKER CRAFT SCULPTURE METHOD July 29, 1969 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July al 1966 United States Patent O 3,457,625 CRAFT SCULPTURE METHOD Donald Wanamaker, 323 Salem Ave., Dayton, Ohio 45406 Filed July 8, 1966, Ser. No. 563,840 Int. Cl. B23q 17/00 U.S. Cl. 29--407 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A method of assembly particularly adapted for creating craft type sculpture that comprises the steps of adhering a plurality or series of workpieces to an adhesive coated `backing sheet, positively securing those workpieces to one another, and subsequently removing the backing sheet from the assembled product. Such a method may be used by children to fabricate numerous difierent metal or plastic sculpture designs.

This invention relates to the iiled of arts and crafts and, more particularly, this invention relates to a method of assembling or forming craft type sculpture that is particularly suited for use by children.

The field of arts and crafts, as adapted to a childs abilities, has long been the subject of interest in the toy and game industry. Many different types of artistic craft kits have been marketed which are slanted in the direction of children and these kits have been most successful from an economic standpoint. In addition, such kitS appear to the creativity needs of a child and, from that standpoint, aid in his growth and breadth of experiences. For example, typical craft type kits Well known from the past are wood burning kits, plaster of paris mold kits, and molding clay kits.

While this invention relates to a method of forming or assembling craft type sculpture, it is preferred that the various components required to create the art Work be marketed in kit form. The arts and crafts or sculpture kit of this invention includes an adhesive layered backing sheet. The backing sheet is provided with a printed design that is generally broken up into a plurality of sections. Sculpture sections corresponding in size and shape to the printed conguration or design are provided and are adapted to be stuck to the adhesive layer on the backing sheet in order that the sculpture or relief may be formed. The various sections of the design on the adhesive coated backing sheet carry numbers or letters which are in sequence so that the child may stick the sculpture sections onto the adhesive layer in a predetermined order. The sections are preferably positioned on the backing sheet so that they overlap one another to permit them to ybe easily secured together. Once the various sections have been secured one to another, the adhesive backing sheet is stripped from the sculpture or relief.

After the sculpture or relief has been suitably prepared, any protruding or extending sections, their presence being dependent upon the design of the sculpture or relief, may be bent inwardly or outwardly to give a three-dimensional effect to the sculpture. Subsequently, the face side of the sculpture, i.e., that side of the sculpture stuck to the backing sheet, may be colored or painted in accordance with the artistic desires of the child, or in a predetermined manner set forth in the kit assembly directions.

erefore, it has been a primary objective of this invention to provide a sculpture kit that will permit a child to make craft type sculptures.

It has been another objective of this invention to provide a method of assembly for forming craft type sculp- 3,457,625 Patented July 29, 1969 ture or relief objects which may be easily and simply followed by a child.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the detailed description of the drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of the adhesive coated backing sheet depicting the removal of the protective sheet therefrom.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view taken along line 2 2 of FIGURE 1 showing the combined backing sheet and protective sheet in composite form.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the adhesive pattern backing sheet showing a typical sculpture craft pattern thereon.

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 depicting sculpture sections adhering to the adhesive layer of the backing sheet.

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 showing the sculpture sections in place and being secured to one another.

FIGURE 6 depicts the face of the sculpture, with the adhesive coated backing sheet stripped therefrom, being painted.

FIGURE 7 is a cross sectional view taken along line 7 7 of FIGURE 6 showing the preferred method of securing the sculpture sections to one another.

FIGURES 8-l0 are views similar to FIGURE 7 showing alternative methods of securing different types of sculpture sections to one another.

The sculpture design 50 depicted in the illustration of this invention simulates the head of a court jester and is a typical type of configuration. Of course, other designs may be used such as, for example, king and queen head contig-mations, animal configurations such as a lion or a tiger head, or a landscape scene such as a covered bridge and endless others. It is anticipated that a kit incorporating the preferred embodiment of this invention will be marketed with a plurality of adhesive coated backing sheets-protective sheet composites, each b-acking sheet carrying a different sculpture design. Of course, also included Will be the required sculpture sections or workpieces necessary to complete the Ivarious designs as well as the means for securing the sections together.

The adhesive coated backing sheet-protective sheet composite 51, as best seen in FIGURE 2, includes a layout paper or a backing sheet 52 having the sculpture design 50 incorporated thereon. An adhesive layer 53 is coated on the backing sheet 52. A sheet 54 that is coated with a glassine coating 55 is provided to act as a protective sheet for the adhesive coated backing sheet 52, the protective sheet being easily stripped therefrom when it is desired to utilize the invention. Naturally, the glassine coated protective sheet 54 should be removable from the adhesive coated backing sheet 52 without removing the adhesive layer 53. Also, while any type of adhesive may be employed in use of the invention, it is preferred to use an ladhesive that will remain tightly adhered to the backing sheet 52 so that upon removal of a sculpture or relief 56, that is, the assembled product, from the backing sheet, the adhesive layer 53 will remain on the backing sheet and not be transferred to front or face 57 of the sculpture.

As seen in FIGURE 1, the protective sheet 54 is merely removed from the backing sheet 52 when it is desired to form an object 56, thereby exposing the design 50 of the intended sculpture, yas seen in FIGURE 3. The various Workpieces or sections 1-32 which make up and are outlined on the design 50 carried by the backing sheet are preferably in numbered or lettered sequence, i.e., an identificaton indicia sequence, so that a child may apply sculpture sections 58 to the backing sheet 52 in that sequence. This predetermined sequence permits the overlappings of the sections 1-32 to occur at desired positions so that the front or face 57 of the sculpture, as it will ultimately appear after the backing sheet 52 is stripped therefrom, will have the joints in predetermined positions.

After the protective sheet 54 has been removed from the adhesive coated 4backing sheet 52, suitable sculpture sections 58, corresponding in shape and design to the sculpture design sections 1-32 outlined on the backing sheet, are positioned on the adhesive layer 53 of the backing sheet in an order determined by the number or letter sequence. Of course, there is no chance of the sculpture sections 58 slipping relative one to the other because they are securely held in their orientation by means of the adhesive coating 53. The sculpture sections 58 may be formed of either metal, plastic, or a plastic coated metal. Preferably, either part or all of the sections 58 are formed of material which will permit bending of the sculpture after formation, i.e., a bendable material, so that a three-dimensional effect may be provided in the inished sculpture or relief 56.

After all the sculpture sections 58- have been positioned according to their predetermined numerical or letter order on the adhesive coated backing sheet S2, they are positively secured or interconnected one to the other by suitable means. For example, in FIGURES 4 and 5 metal sculpture sections 58 are portrayed, therefore necessitating soldering of the joints by means of a solder iron S9 and solder 61, as shown in FIGURE 5. Every joint must, of course, be soldered so that when the backing sheet 52 is removed from the front or face 57 of the object 56 it will remain in the assembled state.

After the sculpture or relief 56 has been removed from the backing sheet 52, as seen in FIGURE 6, protruding sections 62 of it may be bent in any direction desired by the child. For example, the tassels of the court jesters cap, because they are made of a bendable material as depicted, may be bent out of the common plane of the face 57 to provide a three-dimensional effect.

Once the sculpture 56 has been bent as desired, it may be colored by painting the various Sculptured sections 58 with a paint brush 63 and suitable color paint. The child may either form his own color scheme, or follow a color scheme that may be provided for each different sculpture design. Alternatively, the sculpture 56 may be painted prior to bending into three dimensions, but this is not preferred as the paint has a tendency to crack upon bending of the sections 58. Of course, the sculpture sections 58 may be provided already colored, such as precolored plastic sections, in which case no painting is necessary.

FIGURE 5 shows one method of positively securing or interconnecting the sculpture sections 5S to one another, i.e., by soldering. This method is also shown in FIGURE 7 wherein two metal sculpture sections 58 are secured to one another by means of a solder dot 64. Alternative means of positively securing sections to one another are depicted in FIGURES 8-10. FIGURE 8 shows plastic sculpture sections 65 which have been secured to one another by utilizing a plastic solvent at their junction point 66 so that the two sections mold into one at that point. The solvent is merely applied where joinderfof the sections is desired and the sections then pressed together. FIGURE 9 depicts plastic coated metal sections 67 which may be joined one to the other by means of a plastic solvent in a manner similar to that utilizediu FIGURE 8. FIGURE 10 depicts yet a third means of positively joining sculpture sections by providing nipples 68 on one section and holes 69 in the adjoining section so that an easy snap-in relationship may be employed t hold the sections to one another.

Having described the preferred embodiment of my invention, what I desire to claim and protect by I etters Patent is:

1. A method of assembly to lcreate a product comprising the steps of adhering to an adhesive coated backing sheet a plurality of workpieces, positively securing said Workpieces to one another, and removing said backing sheet from the assembled product.

2. A method according to claim 1 including initially removing a protective sheet from the adhesive layer of said adhesive coated backing sheet.

3. A method according to claim 1 including coloring said workpieces after said 'backing sheet has been removed.

4. A method according to yclaim 1 wherein at least one of said workpieces is bendable and including bending said workpiece to a desired position after said backing sheet has been removed, thereby giving said assembled product a three-dimensional effect.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein said adhesive coated backing sheet carries design indicia so that said workpieces may be pla-ced thereon in predetermined positions, said design indicia having sections corresponding in size and shape to said workpieces.

6. A method according to claim 5 including dierent identiication indicia carried by either of said sections and said workpieces whereby said workpieces may be placed on said corresponding design indicia sections in a predetermined order.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein said workpieces are metal and said workpieces are positively secured to one another by soldering.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein at least the outer surface of said workpieces is plastic and said sections are secured to one another by a plastic solvent.

9. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said workpieces at least partially overlap when adhered to said backing sheet.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,840,638 1/1932 Scribner.

2,251,326 8/ 1941 Cullin 29-597 2,289,311 7/1942 Wellman 29-423 X 2,906,016 9/ 1959 Cannon et al. 29-407 3,216,101 11/ 1965 Miller 29-407 THOMAS H. EAGER, Primary Examiner U,.S. Cl. XR. 

